You can make a real difference by helping hard-working people in our
community file their taxes and, in many cases, obtain tax credits and
refunds.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, locally known as the
Northern Virginia CASH Campaign – Creating Assets, Savings and Hope –
provides free tax preparation services to working families and
individuals who earned less than $49,000 in 2009.

A local coalition of public agencies, businesses, libraries, faith and
community-based groups will operate the program at 17 sites throughout
Northern Virginia starting January 23, 2010.

Volunteers can help prepare tax returns or serve as greeters, screeners,
site coordinators and interpreters. This is a short-term, focused
volunteer effort requiring only a few hours a week during tax season,
with an immediate positive impact.

“Last tax season, 488 volunteers helped 3,280 low-income working
families in our community file their taxes for free,” said Nannette
Bowler, director of the Fairfax County Department of Family Services,
which leads the local VITA effort. “Many families qualified for the
Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax refunds, which provided
much-needed additional income for food and basic necessities,” she added.

Last year’s VITA program in Northern Virginia resulted in tax refunds of
over $4.4 million for low-income families and individuals.

“Community commitment and participation are what make this program
successful,” Bowler observed. “We hope to have even more volunteers this
year, so that more people can benefit from the free tax assistance
program.”

To register as a volunteer, or for more information about the Northern
Virginia CASH Campaign, please contact James Do, with the Fairfax
County Department of Family Services, at 571-749-7838, TTY 703-533-5316.

Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of
disability in all county programs services and activities. Reasonable
accommodations will be provided upon request. To request this information
in an alternate format, call the Department of Family Services at
703-533-5400; TTY 703-533-5316.